Although the pandemic is evolving and the dosage of the COVID-19 vaccine is increasing, the side effects of vaccination worry many. Fever, headache or body aches can lead to more severe effects in some cases. One study outlined that two-thirds of vaccine side effects would be due to the noceco effect. What is this about?

Researchers at the Harvard University-affiliated Research Center studied data generated from placebo-controlled clinical studies of COVID-19 vaccines and found that nearly a third of subjects who received a placebo complained of side effects such as fatigue and headache. However, side effects were slightly higher in participants who received the vaccine.

The study, published on the Medical JAMA Network Open, concerned about 45,000 people, half of whom received an actual vaccine and the other half a placebo. More than 35% of subjects receiving placebo experienced a systemic side effect after the first injection and 16% a localized side effect, continuing the same source.

According to the authors of this study, many people attribute minor problems or daily fatigue to the vaccine, especially given the waves of infographics related to the potential side effects of vaccination. The abundance of information, sometimes unfounded and concerning possible side effects, can be a real source of stress and anxiety that can lead to hypersensitivity to the slightest sensation that follows the act of vaccination.